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Topic: Elwin French and Albin Johnson (Read 6630 times)

As a sub-teen or teenager, I knew both Elwin French and Albin Johnson. Elwin's grandson was my good friend, and Albin (incorrectly called Albion by my relatives and others) had a farm across the street from my grandmother. Unfortunately, I was more interested at the time in the B&A Greenville Branch and the CP Moosehead Sub (both of which then existed) than in the Monson. Both Elwin's son Harold and Albin's son Frank have died within the last 10 years, so I believe that their fathers probably were gone by the 1970's.

Elwin's daughter-in-law, Althea French, was the president of the Monson Historical Society for many years and provided much information to two-foot fans, including Bob Hungerford, who recently has given much of his collection to the WW&F. Unfortunately, Althea is now incapacitated by dementia. However, Estella Bennett, current president of the Monson Historical Society (and Roger Whitney's cousin by marriage), has conducted numerous interviews of elderly Monson residents that presumably include Monson RR recollections.

A Monson RR check dated 1936 and written to Cecil Johnson, Albin's other son, for $10 and change (presumably Cecil's week's pay as track man) sold on ebay earlier this week. According to Jones (pp.74, 88), Cecil died of meningitis in 1938 at age eighteen.

Hey, while looking around the internet for information on my Grandparents and Great Grandparents I came across this post. Albin was my Great Grandfather and Frank my Grandfather. I think it is funny that you mentioned he was often incorrectly called Albion because the 1910 to 1930's census incorrectly has him as Albion. It makes it very difficult when trying to figure more out about my heritage. He also was one of the first generation to refer to themselves as "Johnson" I am not sure what the exact spelling was but he changed it from Johannson when he came to the Unites States.

I found this post very interesting and tried to see if there were any more Monson Railroad checks floating around and was unable to find any.